Felton recognized his fit in OKC backcourt
Raymond Felton knew he’d fit with the Thunder, even before general manager Sam Presti was powering through a strong offseason that was only missing a backup point guard.
From a sixth-story view of Oklahoma City’s Aloft Hotel on Tuesday, Felton shared a hug with Thunder scout and former NBA guard Mike Wilks, who Felton battled against 12 years ago
as a rookie in Charlotte. Felton still lives in Dallas, just three hours from OKC down I-35. He last played in Los Angeles, but the self-professed “country boy” from South Carolina prefers the Oklahoma City pace
“Laid back, chill,” Felton said. “This is my cup of tea. The city, it fits me for sure.”
More importantly, Felton fits arguably the most pressing need for the Thunder this offseason. In addition to the chance to compete for a championship, Felton has a clear path to playing time as the backup point guard.
Yes, the acquisition of four-time All-Star Paul George and the signing of versatile power forward Patrick Patterson, were moves that raised Felton’s eyebrows. But the Thunder had his attention from the onset of free agency July 1.
Then, the 33-year-old Felton was on vacation in Washington D.C., last week when his agent
called him after talking with the Thunder.
What do you want to do?
“Let’s do it. Tell them I said, ‘Let’s go. Let’s make it happen.’”
“I think it (the Thunder’s offseason moves) was a factor that made it 100 percent,” Felton said Tuesday after his introductory news conference with Patterson. “But it was also one of the teams I was looking for, I was targeting from the beginning.
“But after the moves, it was a no-brainer.”
Felton is the biggest no-brainer addition of the offseason for the Thunder. When Westbrook was off the floor last season, the Thunder cratered, going from a point differential per 100 possessions of plus3.3 with Westbrook to minus-8.9 with him on the bench. The biggest reason was the backup point guard position was never stabilized. Semaj Christon couldn’t spark the offense. Norris Cole was erratic, fresh off a stint in China. Victor Oladipo never got a chance.
Felton, who had an assist-to-turnover ratio of nearly 2.5-to-1 last season in 80 games with the Clippers, figures to cure those ills, whether it’s as the backup point guard or a range of roles on the perimeter.
Now that Felton’s on board, Thunder general manager Sam Presti will presumably stop getting questions in the grocery store about backup point guards.
Additionally, it’s a sigh of relief for Thunder coach Billy Donovan, who’ll get more reliable rest for Westbrook.
“One of the neat things about Raymond, he’s been on the floor where he’s played the point, he’s played the two (shooting guard), he’s probably played the small forward spot. He’s really been all over the place in the backcourt,” Donovan said. “That really speaks to his IQ, of how he can actually impact the game.
“I have a lot of confidence based on his experience, him being a veteran, that there really isn’t any situation he’s not been into.”